Johnny Pires Convicted of Child Pornography Charges
A federal jury in Boston has convicted 24-year-old Johnny Pires of Middleboro, Mass., of attempting to receive child pornography and possessing child pornography. The conviction comes after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel.
The case against Pires was brought as part of the nationwide initiative, Project Safe Childhood, aimed at combating the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. An FBI undercover operation targeted individuals using file sharing programs to trade child pornography, and Pires was identified as one of the individuals sharing images of child pornography through the Limewire file share program.
Testimony from an undercover agent established that Pires was using Limewire to share images of child pornography, including images depicting pre-pubescent children engaged in various sexual acts. A forensic examiner testified that a hard drive seized from Pires’ residence revealed numerous images of child pornography, including those downloaded from Limewire.
Pires faces a minimum of five years in prison and up to 20 years at sentencing. He will also face a lifetime term of supervised release following his prison sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for October 22, 2009.
The case was prosecuted jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kanwit for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney LisaMarie Freitas of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The case was investigated by the FBI.
Johnny Pires, 24, of Middleboro, Mass., was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of attempting to receive child pornography and possessing child pornography. Pires was indicted on two counts of attempting to receive child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
Pires admitted to accessing child pornography through file share programs and downloading images of the sexual abuse of children. The evidence presented during the trial established that Pires was using file sharing programs to trade child pornography, and he was identified as one of the individuals sharing images of child pornography through the Limewire file share program.
This case is a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by individuals who seek to exploit and harm children online. The investigation and prosecution of child pornography cases are a top priority for law enforcement and prosecutors. We will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute individuals who engage in this heinous crime.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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